Had this on tap at RRBC, the day after the Younger release and a few weeks after the New Albion Ale release party at RRBC. After 3 pours of PtY, I needed a palate cleanser!

I enjoyed this a whole lot more than the negative buzz made me think I would. It is very nicely balanced and quaffable, with a surprising complexity of flavor. Dry, with a firm bitterness. There isn't an enormous hop flavor and aroma, but what is there does its job nicely. The best part is what I think is an an english yeast-driven character that adds a complexity missing in most APAs, and is what really takes this from generic pale ale to something I'd order again.

I scanned the other reviews, and see complaints that it is 'thin' or 'boring'. Even that it has 'lager-y' flavor. That is borderline retarded. The recipe for this beer is freely available and uses pale malt (no crystal or other specialty malts), cascade hops ("the" American craft hop - SNPA, Mirror Pond, etc) and the New Albion yeast. Nothing lager-y about it. It is an American Pale Ale at its most prototypical (fitting, since it was the prototype for all APAs to follow). It is supposed to be light-bodied, drinkable and not overwhelming on the hops or malt. I wonder if BA reviewers' taste buds have been burnt out by too many IIPAs, and their brains burnt out by the BA groupthink that says anything below 10% ABV isn't worth drinking. </rant>

I've never had a Sam Adams beer that I would recommend. I don't know how this is in the bottle, but I have no reservations recommending this on draft while its still available. It is interesting to note that only two other reviewers here had this on draft, and also had above average ratings. Tasty, balanced and quaffable. Definitely an above average brew (for what it is), though my opinion might be tainted (for better or worse) by all the Younger I had before it.

New Albion Ale opens to a crisp aroma, full of grains and good touches of citrusy hops, offering an immediate sense of balance and flavor. The grains bring toast, floury baguette, rising wheat bread, wet straw, and touches of biscuit, while the hops add an overlay of pine, pink grapefruit, and grapefruit rind, the bitterness here a nice companion to the breads. The ale also features a good selection of light fruit esters, including apricot and orange, with fainter supporting notes of berry and cherry. As a whole, while the flavors in here are light, befitting a pale ale, they’re very nicely balanced between breads, sugars, and hops, offering a wide range of aromas in a nose that has surprising lingering power for its lightness, maintaining most of its potency for at least a few minutes after the bottle has been opened.

On the tongue, the beer brings an immediate grain and hop note, the flavors from the nose translating almost directly, except the dry, bitter grapefruit rind has more potency, adding an astringent citrusy kick to the mixture. The fruit esters also translate well, and even offer a greater presence on the tongue, with more apricot and orange coming through to combat the bitter hops and add body. The flavors maintain their presence throughout much of the mouthful, the sugars slowly dying off. The aftertaste is heavy on toast, biscuit, grapefruit rind, and pine, with almost no sugars left, fading with relative quickness. Mouthfeel is medium-light to medium, and carbonation is medium to medium-heavy, the ale fizzing up somewhat on the tongue.

Overall, this is perfectly good beer, and while it doesn’t offer anything overwhelming or necessarily distinctive, it does feature a very respectable flavor palette that sets a nice standard for any pale ale to live up to, and offers good drinkability at the same time. Certainly worth trying, and not just for its historical significance.

12 oz bottle at fridge temp poured into a snifter. Best Before JUL 2013

Pours out a very clear golden to light golden color with 1-2 fingers worth of fluffy white head. Pretty good head retention and lace.

Not much to the aroma, almost lager like in a way. Light cereal grains, some fruity esters, and pretty much no hops detectable

Again, not full of flavor, but it sure is drinkable and refreshing. Definatly nothing off about it. A lightly sweet lager like cereal grain with just a hint of citrus from the hops, hops are once again nearly undetectable. Just a bit of fruity ester. Doesnt have much of a finish to it.

Very light in body, but not at all watery.

This is not really a beer I'd ever come back to, but everyone should try this considering its pretty much the first craft beer ever made in America. Its crazy to think that this 30 years ago was considering new and extreme.

Very clear straw yellow colored with a bright white rocky head full of dimples that lingers long and gradually recedes back leaving legs of lacing around the glass. Very low aroma of honey malt. Flavors of honey malt and grassy notes, some lemony nuances, medium bitterness. Expected more citrus, I believe this is all cascade. Full and creamy mouthfeel. Overall a decent session beer, good gateway beer. Obviously way ahead of its time, it was probably considered rich in flavor in its day, but is merely better than average today. Great to be tasting a bit of brewing history, cheers to Jim Koch for undertaking this project.

Was at the Reno total wine, as usual, the selection was more underwhelming than the last time. Figured I'd grab a six of this, why not, drink a piece of history.

Pours a nice looking pale ale, lots of golden clarity to it, mostly white colored head, right around the 1" range. Aroma was bready, but lacked the hops. First signal that this was truly an old school pale ale. While lagers may have had more ibu's back then, this pale ale cetainly did not. Nothing bad, but you know, gimme the hops.

Taste, eerily similar to Coors Banquet, which was probably the leading macro in the flavor department back then, this was like they took that beer and decided to amp its malt and hop bill by about 5%. Novel stuff back in 1976, but pretty bland by today's standards. Cool to see how things have changed and grown, but ultimately, I think a purchase of just 1 bottle would have been a better choice for me.

Appealing grassy-floral-fruity mix includes suggestions of hay, apples, citrus fruit, faint biscuits and spicy hops. The flavor is similar to the nose, but less apple and a clearer tangerine note. Interesting mix of flavors, with some complexity. Appropriate hop/malt balance.